SmartThings Support

What do the LED colors on the Hub mean?

The SmartThings Hub's LED displays a series of colors during its initial setup. A solid green LED indicates everything is connected and ready to go. This should result within just a few minutes of connecting the Hub’s power and ethernet cables and instructing the SmartThings mobile app to begin setup. The app will also indicate when the Hub is up and running.

If the LED is stuck on solid blue for over 5 minutes or blinks blue, however, this indicates the Hub is having trouble connecting. Reference the following article for tips on how to connect your Hub, or contact support.

LED Behavior

Read below for details about the Hub status lights and LED behavior you may see during setup or everyday operations for your version of the SmartThings Hub.

SmartThings Hub (2018)

SmartThings Hub v2 (2015)

Red/green (blinking)

What it means: The Hub is ready to connect

What to do: You will see this when first plugging the Hub in to power out of the box, or after a factory reset. If you haven’t already, open the SmartThings app to connect your Hub.

Blue (blinking)

What it means: No LAN connection, Hub doesn’t have an IP address

What to do: This is likely an internet connection issue. If your Hub is connected via Wi-Fi, try changing the Wi-Fi network or connect the Hub directly to the router via Ethernet. Make sure your Ethernet cable is securely plugged into the back of the Hub and not loose. If the Ethernet cable is snug but the blue light keeps blinking, the cable may be defective. Swap it for another shielded model. This may also be caused by strict network security settings preventing the Hub from connecting.

Blue (solid)

What it means: Attempting connection to the SmartThings cloud/servers

What to do: A solid blue light is expected during the normal setup process and when downloading firmware updates (in some cases). However, if the light remains solid blue for longer than 5 minutes, this indicates the Hub is unable to establish a connection with our servers. This problem can occur when outbound traffic from a local network is being blocked. Double-check your network settings and make sure the following ports are open during initial setup: 11111, 9443, 443, 39500, and 37

Magenta (blinking)

What it means: Downloading firmware update

What to do: This blinking pinkish color indicates that the Hub is downloading a firmware update, which can occur during initial setup or with the release of a Hub firmware upgrade. Do not unplug the Hub while firmware is being downloaded.

Magenta (solid)

What it means: Applying firmware update

What to do: Expect to see this pinkish color during initial setup or whenever the Hub’s firmware is upgraded. Do not unplug the Hub when firmware is being applied.

Green (blinking)

What it means: Hub is looking for devices to connect with

What to do: This is perfectly normal and expected. The LED will blink green when you start connection of a new device through the app, and it will stop when the device is connected or when you navigate away from the connection screen.

Green (double-blinking)

What it means: Z-Wave Exclusion Mode active

What to do: This is expected behavior when you remove a Z-Wave device or activate General Device Exclusion through Z-Wave Utilities. Nothing wrong here!

Green (solid)

What it means: Hub connected to LAN and cloud

What to do: The Hub is successfully connected and ready to go! Hello, smart home! When you see this during initial setup, the app will also give you the go-ahead to connect devices to the Hub.

The LED may also be solid green when the Hub is downloading firmware updates.

If the LED is a solid green but the Hub is inactive, restart the mobile app. If this doesn’t fix the problem, contact our support team.

Red (blinking)

What it means: Hub is having power issues

What to do: The blinking red LED can indicate issues with either the backup batteries or the power cable connection. To narrow down the issue, unplug the Hub, and plug it into a different outlet. If the LED is still blinking red, contact support.

General Troubleshooting

If you are having difficulties with your Hub or devices, reboot the Hub. A simple reboot will often clear up connectivity issues. The SmartThings Hub (2018) can be rebooted by unplugging the Hub's power supply then plugging it back in. Wait 5-10 minutes for the LED to turn solid green; this will indicate the Hub is back online.

If the LED is blinking blue or stuck on solid blue, reboot your router.

What to do: This is likely an ethernet connection issue. Make sure your ethernet cable is securely plugged into the back of the Hub and not loose. If the ethernet cable is snug but the blue light keeps blinking, the cable may be defective. Swap it for another shielded model. This may also be caused by strict network security settings preventing the Hub from connecting.

For a walkthrough of troubleshooting a blinking blue LED, watch this video:

Blue (solid)

What it means: Attempting connection to the SmartThings cloud/servers

What to do: A solid blue light is expected during the normal setup process and when downloading firmware updates (in some cases). However, if the light remains solid blue for longer than 5 minutes, this indicates the Hub is unable to establish a connection with our servers. This problem can occur when outbound traffic from a local network is being blocked. Double-check your network settings and make sure the following ports are open during initial setup: 11111, 9443, 443, 39500, and 37. The Hub v1 also requires the NTP port (123)

Magenta (blinking)

What it means: Downloading firmware update

What to do: This blinking pinkish color indicates that the Hub is downloading a firmware update, which can occur during initial setup or with the release of a Hub firmware upgrade. Do not unplug the Hub while firmware is being downloaded.

Magenta (solid)

What it means: Applying firmware update

What to do: Expect to see this pinkish color during initial setup or whenever the Hub’s firmware is upgraded. Do not unplug the Hub when firmware is being applied.

Green (blinking)

What it means: Hub is looking for devices to connect with

What to do: This is perfectly normal and expected. The LED will blink green when you start connection of a new device through the app, and it will stop when the device is connected or when you navigate away from the connection screen.

Green (double-blinking)

What it means: Z-Wave Exclusion Mode active

What to do: This is expected behavior when you remove a Z-Wave device or activate General Device Exclusion through Z-Wave Utilities. Nothing wrong here!

Green (solid)

What it means: Hub connected to LAN and cloud

What to do: The Hub is successfully connected and ready to go! Hello, smart home! When you see this during initial setup, the app will also give you the go-ahead to connect devices to the Hub.

The LED may also be solid green when the Hub is downloading firmware updates.

If the LED is a solid green but the Hub is inactive, restart the mobile app. If this doesn’t fix the problem, contact our support team.

Red (blinking)

What it means: Hub is having power issues

What to do: The blinking red LED can indicate issues with either the backup batteries or the power cable connection. To narrow down the issue for the SmartThings Hub v2 (2015):

Take the batteries out of the Hub

Plug the Hub into a different wall outlet without batteries

Unplug the Hub and install new batteries

Plug the Hub into that different wall outlet with new batteries

To narrow down the issue for the SmartThings Hub v1 (2013), unplug the Hub, and plug it into a new outlet.

If the LED is still blinking red in all of the above scenarios, contact support.

General Troubleshooting

If you are having difficulties with your Hub or devices, reboot the Hub. A simple reboot will often clear up connectivity issues. The SmartThings Hub v2 (2015) can be rebooted by unplugging the Hub's power supply and batteries then reconnecting and reinstalling them. Wait 5-10 minutes for the LED to turn solid green; this will indicate the Hub is back online. If you have Hub v1, reboot the Hub by unplugging it from both Ethernet and power, wait a few minutes, and then plug it back in.

If the LED is blinking blue or stuck on solid blue, reboot your router.